His Stock Has Nowhere to Go but Up

Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal- Constitution, commenting on John Rocker saying he might become a stockbroker:

“That would be along the same career path of, say, Robert Downey Jr., guidance counselor. Jerry Springer, poet laureate. Bobby Knight, secretary general of the United Nations.

” . . . A couple of helpful hints for Rocker as he contemplates a challenging new career in stock brokerage. IPO doesn’t stand for I’ll Punk Orientals.”

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Trivia time: Who holds the record for turnovers in an NBA championship game?

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Rock throwing: Pitcher Curt Schilling of the Philadelphia Phillies, on the dramatic increase in home runs, in an interview with Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“The baseballs we use are like pool balls, hard as a rock. This, in my opinion, is a very significant factor in the increase in home runs.”

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Nostalgia: Forty of the 264 parquet squares that made up the Boston Celtics’ floor at Boston Garden are being auctioned online at sothebys.amazon.com until Thursday.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports that the minimum bid for center court, which includes the leprechaun logo, is $75,000.

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Comforting: Peter Vecsey of the New York Post to Isiah Thomas after his election to the Basketball Hall of Fame: “I want you to know that Fred Hickman and I both voted for you.”

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Looking ahead: Tom FitzGerald, in the San Francisco Chronicle: “After meeting with Steve Young, Denver Bronco Coach Mike Shanahan said, ‘He’s a very bright guy, one of the brightest guys I’ve ever been around. I think he’ll be a senator; I think he’ll be President of the United States.’

“So that’s what the breakfast was all about: Shanahan is already angling for an ambassadorship.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1933, Johnny Goodman won the U.S. Open golf championship, the last amateur to win the event.

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Trivia answer: Magic Johnson, 10, against Philadelphia, on May 14, 1980.

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And finally: Mark Kiszla in the Denver Post: “It’s a shame. The best team in basketball lives in the worst sports city in America. The Lakers are in the NBA finals. Does anybody in L.A. besides actor Jack Nicholson really care?

“When Los Angeles beat Indiana on Wednesday, there were 18,997 Kens and Barbies in the stands. Without a doubt, the spectators in the shiny, season-old Staples Center have the prettiest faces and weakest lungs in the league.

“The new downtown arena cost $375 million. It has 160 luxury suites and 1,200 televisions. But no basketball soul.”